E-ballots to be sent to deployed S.J. military

STOCKTON - While serving in the Vietnam War, Jesus Tzintzun said he was lucky to receive mail once a week.

Lissette Rodriguez

STOCKTON - While serving in the Vietnam War, Jesus Tzintzun said he was lucky to receive mail once a week.

And because of inconsistent overseas military mail delivery, he never had the opportunity to vote.

Tzintzun, an Army sergeant from 1968-71, thinks that should change for people serving in the military. It's been 40 years since his own experience.

"After all, they are serving their country," said Tzintzun, the commander of Stockton's American Legion Karl Ross Post 16. "They should be able to vote."

In November, San Joaquin County residents overseas will be able to receive their ballots electronically, which was made possible through a grant from the Federal Voting Assistance Program.

With a unanimous vote last week, county supervisors approved an electronic-absentee system using $156,783 in grant funding. It will allow county residents living overseas - particularly those in the military - to vote.

El Dorado County is serving as the lead county for the 13-county coalition that will divide $1.83 million to execute the program.

Austin Erdman, San Joaquin County's registrar of voters, said that the new system will allow those voting overseas to download their election ballots online and turn them in via mail or fax. Until now, voters overseas had to wait for their ballots to arrive in the mail.

"I want to do everything I can for our military folks who are serving our country overseas," Erdman said. "I want to give everybody the ability to vote who wants to vote."

With 847 registered county voters in the military or living overseas, Erdman said that their votes will have the largest effect when it comes to their local communities. He said these votes can be the deciding factor in close races for candidates and policies.

"They're making decisions and voting for things in their community that they'll come back to for themselves and their children and their children's children," Erdman said.

He said it may take some time for California officials to approve electronic-absentee balloting statewide. However, Erdman said that this updated form of distributing ballots electronically will help ensure that people in the military get their ballots early enough to turn them in with enough time to be counted.

Tzintzun said he would have taken advantage of such an opportunity when he was serving overseas, but he is pleased to see that military men and women will have that opportunity now.

"I think it's an excellent opportunity ... to be able to vote," Tzintzun said.